Hiya.
Thinking of a trip to Shropshire with me Julie. Could you recommend a few good B&Bs worth looking at around the Long Mynd.
Also, what's the difficulty level of the area (technically). My partner is plenty fit enough for distance but lacks confidence. That said we did a nice loop over Sawry and Loughrigg terrace last year. I just don't want her pushing the whole ride whilst I get my awesomes on.
Many thanks in advance.
I think a hardtail would be perfect for around there. Its swoopy/open and nice. I imagine it'd be evil in the wind though.
If you want techy- I went down the side of the edge of a Golf course there- towards a carpark at the bottom- it was 'steep' 😆
Its not techy. Long ride, bumpy grassy hill top, twisty narrow in places decents, but not techy.
Ring these guys for advice: http://plushhillcycles.co.uk/
Me and a mate went recently and had a great ride. It was the w/e of all the flooding in those parts so pretty damn wet! Still it was very enjoyable, not techy at all although we did find a dh trail in the woods at south - priors holt? We stayed in a yha in All Stretton. Very nice warm and welcoming, also had a useful tumble drier. Http://www.allstrettonbunkhouse.co.uk
The pub landlord down the road is quite something!
superfli, was the landlord wearing a sarong?
Thats the chap. "What the fk do you want"! Funny crowd though, we were in the right frame of mind having already downed a few in church stretton. We ended up in a lock in 🙂
Swoopy is great. Hopefully it'll dry out a bit by the end of the month. All sounds ideal although I will need more than a bunkhouse to impress ma lady enough to get her wheels turning.....
Plenty of techy stuff if you know where to look, and if you can "make the most of a trail". But if you just wanna roll, well that's easy too. Pretty much all of the up/downs have access to techy stuff (either rocky / steeps / stream crossings etc), so if you're confident you can go ride this stuff. If not, just take the easier more worn in path and enjoy that. I'd say it was perfect for a slightly more than beginner trying to find their MTB mojo 😉
Was talking to some lads on the Chase on Xmas Eve who had driven over from Long Mynd way because Cannock was 'loads better'
SF- A lock in there would be a right laugh. Did you meet the posh ex-Army captain giving bayonet demonstrations ?
Rocketman- that is correct.
Plenty of techy stuff if you want it and avoidable if you don't. Some of the batches (valleys) more techy than the black stuff on the monkey & follow the dog or the natural stuff at Cannock also (Good though the black stuff there is). From my perspective the Long Mynd is significantly better than Cannock.
Was talking to some lads on the Chase on Xmas Eve who had driven over from Long Mynd way because Cannock was 'loads better'
Seriously wow. Why?!
Hora - do you ride over that way? If so fancy swapping some routes?
Try the Bridges YHA in Ratlinghope, great pub next door, another one a mile or two away, riding up and around the Mynd and Stiperstones, they have some four bed en-suite rooms, ask Angela about her mad cycling trips through war-zones.
Yew Tree in All Stretton is a pretty good pub imo, landlord is pretty funny in a dry way!
I'm going soon too. Never been before. Quite a few guys in my mtb club go pretty often and really rate it, so I'm looking forward to it. I downloaded loads of routes in the area from justgoride and will use them plus the OS map to plan 🙂
Not entirely sure why the visitors rated Cannock above the Long Mynd but the reason we started talking was they were looking for Stile Cop so presumably they were in search of some gnarcore gravity action even though at the time they were making good progress on Lower Cliff.
Have walked round the Long Mynd a few times but never ridden there what's it like?
A bit like the Quantocks with less trees, and no sea view.
My parents live by the water factory between Church Stretton and All Stretton. I love visiting them though they don't see much of me as it's great riding around there. I see up by the Carding Mill Valley cafe there's a map showing mtb routes so a good place to start - that's quite a challenge climbing up from there. I generally road ride these days - lots of steep climbing, makes the Surrey Hills look pretty tame....
Has anyone got up the Carding Mill climb, taking the rhs turn halfway up (valley line below Haddon hill), without stopping or putting a foot down? I [i]nearly[/i] managed it, but got tangled up in my SPD's at a vital point and fell off.......
There's even a tiny bit of shore now above All Stretton (don't get too excited, it's about 8" high and 8 feet wide) but it leads into a nice and technical in places decent into the steep valley below.
While you're there, do pop into Push Hill cycles in Church Stretton for a chat/browse, cracking guys n gals, who fixed my friends knackered headset for free, while we waited, dropping mud all over their shop, out of the pooring rain outside !! 😉
If you're a roadie, the climb up from Asterton on the west side of the Mynd, to the gliding club is enough to make you wish you had some smaller cogs at the front too.
I have ridden all the way up CMV but it was a few years ago, think I might have to put it down as a riding goal for this year.
The "shore" is I think at the top of "The Batch" valley, that's a nice climb up too. There is another descent into that valley which isn't marked on any map.
The rebuilt modern stylee house that nestles in that valley on the northeast side of the mynd is pretty cool too. Must be an amazing place to live
I really like the Long Mynd. Far better riding than Cannock IMO but of course opinions are like arse holes... The Carding Mill Valley descent is great fun if not many walkers about. Minton Batch descent is fun but when wet its like riding down a stream.
More blatant pimping of the routes on my site. http://www.composite-projects.co.uk/mountain-biking/routes/long-mynd-routes/
Mountain bike Shropshire: http://www.mtb-shropshire.co.uk/
Cool. Thanks for the responses. The bikes are strapped to the roof...... But where's good to eat and stay? Any nice inns, b&bs or hotels? Remember I have to be romantic if I'm to get fun time on the bike.
Maxtorque do you mean the rebuilt modern house on Long Batch? If so I love that one too!
The myndhouse looks good and they have a drying room!
Go to Plush Hill Cycles in Church Stretton and ask about suggestions and buy the trail map of the Mynd. It's broad and flat on top and some approaches are easier than others. Although it's been wet the Mynd drains better than a lot of places.
http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/long-mynd-way-marked-trails-or-old-fashioned-map-route
http://www.theedgecycleworks.com/mtbroutes/
Singletrack ran a Long Mynd feature recently, issue 69.
The Station Inn at Marshbrook, with Blazing Bikes next door, apparently does nice food and I've heard good things about the Bridges in Ratlinghope. Stiperstones Inn is a bit further away but praised for its grub, ales and accomodation.
How about a - [url= http://camping-shropshire.co.uk/ ]Camping Pod at Blazing Bikes[/url]
+2 for Mynd House, I stayed there 18 months ago and it was very nice, there's also a cracking pub about 500 yds down the road which does good food and real ale. I've also stayed in the YHA at All Stretton (at the same time as superfli) which is basic but clean and has everything you need, but not the kind of place I'd take the Missus.
I used to be able clean Cardingmill Valley climb BITD. The Lawley too (that was harder). These days I'd probably push up the road just to get to Cardingmill Valley!
Hi davewalsh. You must have been the guys at the other end of bunkhouse with us? Sorry about waking you 🙂 I need to go back when its a bit drier
Always love reading what the STW forum think of the Mynd, not surprised that the landlord at the Yew Tree made the conversation.
[url= http://www.myndhouse.com/ ]Mynd house[/url] is a good B&B choice with bike storage and bike wash available and two cracking pubs for food and ale within a sort walk (Ragleth and Green dragon). Plus its in a central location so your not straight into a killer climb and you can easily pick a route to suit the weather.
We have hostels and hotels on our [url= http://www.plushhillcycles.co.uk/ ]website [/url]too
Those pods look ideal, I remember seeing them in the STW feature. cheap as chips as well if 5 share.
Camped by Blazing Bikes /The Station a few times last year- ride, beer, food, beer, sleep, breakfast, more riding. Superb.
I've cleaned it up Cardigan Valley a few times.
Walleater - cleaning The Lawley. Is that from the South or North? I've ridden it loads from the North and can't see how you'd make the last bit! Never tried it from the South but have heard it can be done.
Last (and I think only time) I cleaned CMV I had a slowly going flat front tyre, but once past the steep bit after the stream I wasn't going to stop!
The woods on the Batch side have some nice tech routes in - most were closed due to a motorbike enduro the last time i was there though 🙁
Walleater used to be the Shropshire hill climb champion. (In his head)
I used to live virtually on the lawley and I could never clear that 5m section near the top of the north side - never even bothered trying from the south side! If I recall the bottom of the cmv climb has been smoothed out?
I clean CMV, whats the Lawley?
The Lawley is that nice looking hill on the other side of the A49, north of Caer Caradoc (which also might possibly have some ace riding on it)
Nick, the North side. I've now idea what the last bit is like now but BITD (circa 1865.....) the final super steep section was really grippy so if you conserved your energy on the rest of the climb (which is pretty segmented anyway) you could just go balls out on the final one. Even when I was super fit I'd be feeling pretty woozy after getting up it! I'd never thought about trying it from the south side, but we'd always be riding out from Shrewsbury and the route would normally be Lawley, Caradoc, Mynd, Stiperstones and back.
Good morning Scruff. It was only the Mid Shropshire Wheelers which pretty well covered the flattest part of Shropshire 😀
Caradoc pretty well sucked to be honest. It was just a big grunt up and I can't remember much about the descent either other than it being steep near the bottom. You can ride around the Lawley offroad but I can't remember if you can ride around Caradoc?
Well I don't think you should ride around Caradoc but you know how it goes 🙂
Allegedly there's a nice long techy bit of trail all along the A49 side..
I had heard of people making it to the top from the North but certainly have never ever managed it! Definately harder than CMV.
Afternoon Will.
You can ride round the back of Caradoc, in October we went over to Cardington and back then went down the greenlane road thing, was quite good fun.
maxtorque - MemberHas anyone got up the Carding Mill climb, taking the rhs turn halfway up (valley line below Haddon hill), without stopping or putting a foot down?
Yep cleaned it a few times.
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/sheldona/2793504934/in/set-72157606924983262 ]cleared[/url]
Would not look possible from a distance but caradoc not to bad to get up via a steep track and a few ways down depending on how steep and or fast you want to go. Nice to link the trails around and over it with those at hope bowler hill and a pint in carding ton.
The nicest bit isn't round the back, it's on the A49 side